WUC Speed Skating 2014, the Netherlands, Groningen

WUC Speed Skating 2014, the Netherlands, Groningen
Mission
Bringing science and sports together
with the World University Championship
Speed Skating.
Preface
World University Championship Speed Skating in Groningen
Sports are important for everyone. At the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen we think
that everyone should be able to enjoy sports. Either by playing sports for fun, as a top athlete
or as a spectator of enjoyable and exciting events. This is why we encourage sports,
by making it possible to get involved, making facilities available sharing knowledge
and offering study programmes about sports. Our School of Sports Studies is the only one in the
Netherlands to offer a broad range of professionally orientated higher education programmes in
the field of sports, movement and health. Our university conducts research into every possible
aspect of sport and movement, such as how to prevent and recover from injuries.
Hanze University students who play sport at the highest level are also eligible for a Sports
Grant and special study arrangements.
In a city where sports are so important, there is also a great deal of interest in watching sport and
enjoying top competitions. The Groningen Student Skating Society has come up with the
brilliant initiative to organise the 2014 world skating championship for students in Groningen.
It is an excellent plan that has got everyone enthusiastic straight away. What could be
more enjoyable and exciting than long-distance skating races? An exciting prospect: the top
skaters of the world here in Groningen. It will be enjoyed by all the fans in the city and far
beyond. It is a fantastic contribution to the sports-friendly image of Hanze UAS, the University
of Groningen, and the municipality of Groningen.
This initiative has earned our support and I hope that many people will join with us to make
this world championship in Groningen possible.
drs. H.J. Pijlman
Chairman of the Executive Board
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Table of contents
5. Introduction
The Netherlands, water, and Speed Skating
6. SSN and KNSB
7. Groningen
8. Kardinge
9. Facilities and Infrastructure
Tjas/ACLO Sports Centre/RUG 10. Hotels and Catering 11. Ceremonies and Culture 12. Programme
13. Marketing and Media
14. Financial means
15. Organization
Recommendations Committee
Advisory Board
Organization Committee 16. Interviews
18. Closing statements
19. Acknowledgements
4
Introduction
The Netherlands, water and Speed Skating
The Netherlands, abroad also known as Holland, is a small but busy country. This small area is
populated by 16 million people, making it one of the most densely populated countries in Europe. The country is internationally known for its tulips, clogs and windmills, but also the eternal battle against the water, as the Netherlands is largely below sea level. By using different
technologies (dykes, polders, pumping stations, etc.), the Dutch keep their feet dry. The water also has
it's benefits. The location at sea, the major ports and the many rivers and canals, for example, have
offered possibilities for trade and transport for centuries. Furthermore, when the water is frozen,
the Dutch get excited about ice skating, for which they have a long tradition. Centuries ago
they skated on reindeer bones, which could be easily found. Skating was not only
a useful means of transportation, but has also become an important form of entertainment
since the 18th century. There were various competitions held on the frozen waters. The Eleven Cities Tour is a common example of this, which is still being held (if the ice is
thick enough). Even now, many Dutchmen still grab their skates whenever there is ice.
But even when it does not get cold enough, there is plenty of skating. In the Netherlands,
several ice rinks can be found. Every week there are competions in skating for young and old, beginner to elite athlete. The Netherlands has had great success in skating. Ard and Keesie have won many international awards. Marianne Timmer and Sven Kramer are more recent champions.
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SSN and KNSB
Studentensport Nederland (SSN) is the representative
and sports stimulator for all (potential) Bachelor and
sport students. In order to give substance to this vision,
SSN has ambitions, which are expressed in different
ways.
Student Sports Netherlands presents
itself as
the only national and international Dutch student
representatives in sport.
SSN is the knowledge platform when it comes
to all aspects relating to students and sports.
SSN encourages the student administrative framework
at local and national levels opportunity to develop
and deploy. SSN is a broad organization with attention
to sport and knowledge.
The Royal Dutch Skating Union (KNSB) will be
a partner with the organization for the WUC
2014 and as such contributes by providing
officials, referees, judges, doping tests and so
on. A perfect partner with major experience in
the Netherlands. KNSB is the leading
organization for organizing skating events
such as World Cups and European
Championships.
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Groningen
Groningen is the most northern province
of the Netherlands. In the heart of the north you will find its capital, the
city of Groningen. The city has played
an important role in history. It was founded
in 453 BC. The 190,000 inhabitants are called "stadjers". Approximately one fifth of them are students. Therefore Groningen is also a city of knowledge. There are several educational institutes based in Groningen like the University of Groningen and Hanze
University of Applied Sciences.
The University of Groningen is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and will be 400 years old in 2014.
In Groningen, speed skating is a popular
sport, and Kardinge is the ice center of
Groningen. Tjas, the largest student speed skating association of the world,
is active on this rink.
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Kardinge
The most important place during the entire event will be Kardinge. This sports center is located just
north-east of the center of Groningen. Kardinge is easily accessible by bus. There is a frequent service
with buses from the centre of Groningen to Kardinge and back up to ten times per hour during
the day. Kardinge is also easily accessible from the N46 highway.
Kardinge Sports Center is not only the second best ice rink of the Netherlands, it also has other
sports and recreational facilities. It is the largest multipurpose sports center in the North of the
Netherlands. Besides skating facilities there are swimming-, tennis- and squash facilities. There are also
possibilities to eat and drink in Kardinge. Right next to the skating rink on the ground floor there
is a café with windows overlooking the rink; on the second floor, there is a restaurant, several VIP rooms
overlooking the 400-meter track in addition to some conference rooms.
The 400-meter track in Kardinge is also called the temple of Dutch sprinters, since the National
Championship-sprint is most frequently held there. The ice rink is number 22 on the list of fastest
skating rinks in the world. With 500 seats and 3500 standing places, the rink has enough
capacity for interested fans. The track records on the 500 meters for men and women are
respectively 35.84 (Jan Smeekens) and 39.04 (Annette Gerritsen).
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Facilities and Infrastructure
G.S.S.V. Tjas
Tjas is a vibrant and active sports club with over 500 members, including twenty special committees
and over 30 trainers. The whole year round, the committees organize a broad range of activities. Tjas
has its own running, cycling and speed skating competitions. With the large number of members, Tjas
can call upon many volunteers to help with the organization of the WUC. Furthermore, many of these
members have good connections to other student organizations in Groningen and beyond. Via
personal contact and communicating through social media we can reach out to the majority of
the students (around 30.000) in our city. This will ensure a wonderful academic atmosphere
for the WUC.
ACLO
The science park Zernike is located in the north of Groningen. The university sports center is
situated within this complex. Easily accessible by car, bus, and bike, the sports center
provides training grounds for thousands of students. During the WUC, the athletes will be able to
use one of the four gyms or nine sports fields. There is also a large, well-equipped fitness room
at the athletes' disposal. In addition, the sports center has two conference rooms, nine dressing
rooms, a cafeteria and a physical therapy department. The Zernike complex is at a twenty minutes
bike ride from Kardinge, where the competition will be held.
RUG
The university of Groningen is one of the highest rated universities in The Netherlands. About
30.000 students are registered in the many departments such as Physics, Law, Psychology
and Medicine. The university is located in the center of Groningen within walking distance of the train
station. Spread all over the city are the many departments and to the north is a large science park,
the Zernike complex. The university of Groningen was established in 1614 which means that in 2014
it will celebrate its 400th anniversary. For 400 years Groningen has had a tradition of international
scientific achievement. The year 2014 will be filled with many festivities. The university has promised
full coöperation with the organization of the WUC.
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Facilities and Infrastructure
Hotels / catering
A very important aspect of the event for the athletes is their rest and relaxation. In the weekend of
the races, all participants will be housed in hotels in and around the center of Groningen. In the
table below you will find all qualified hotels with their ranking and capacity. In addition in the third
column you will find the time and distances to the Kardinge ice rink and the city center of Groningen.
The VIP’s and officials will stay in a more luxurious hotel than the athletes. Furthermore at the
allocation of the hotels, the separation of athletes and referees will be taken into account. In the
morning each hotel will serve breakfast. In addition, depending on the timeframe of the races, a
caterer will prepare lunch and/or dinner at Kardinge. This will be a healthy, well balanced meal
so that the athletes can perform optimally.
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Facilities and Infrastructure
Ceremony
The opening ceremony will take place the day before the races start. The skaters, coaches,
officials, and other employees will be welcomed in a grand manner by the organization.
There will be full collaboration with the University, which in 2014 celebrates its 400 th anniversary,
leading to a beautiful ceremony.
The closing ceremony on the final day will mean the end of a very successful WUC
Speed Skating in Groningen and will be memorable.
Culture
The student city Groningen offers a large variety of culture. To show this, several cultural
activities will be organized every day. For example cruising through the canals of Groningen and
visiting the Groninger Museum or the museum of the University. By joining these activities, a good
understanding of the culture in Groningen can be realized. Outside the city there is also the
possibility to learn about the Dutch culture, for instance the ice skating museum in Hindeloopen
(in the province of Friesland) or the open-air museum in Warffum (in the province of Groningen).
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Program
12
Marketing and Media
The premier Dutch skating magazine, schaatsen.nl, formerly known as schaatssport, has been
authorizedto be a media partner of the WUC long track Speed Skating in Groningen. The magazine
and website of the magazine will be used for the publication of articles about the event and
promotional activities. The contact person is a well known writer in speed skating, Huub Snoep.
We are very pleased schaatsen.nl is willing to be a partner for this event. We are also working on
regional, national and international media access to report on this event.
Television is an important
medium. We are looking for
a partner to record the event.
There is also contact with
professional photographers to
capture all the highlights and
beautiful moments.
During the event there will be a
well equipped press center.
The organizing committee will
promote the event using a
website but also by social
media, such as facebook and
twitter.
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Financial means
To stage this event it is necessary to have a strong financial base. The main funding will
come from the University of Groningen, the Hanze University, partners, government
and other subsidy providers and sponsors. Our goal is to keep the participation fees
low. We expect to welcome 150 participants and 30 officials in Groningen. The main costs
are Kardinge (the ice rink), the hotels and catering. Additional main costs will be the
transfer from the hotel to the ice rink and the excellent facilities for the VIP's.
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Organization
The organizational structure will be a legal form of foundation, in which the possibility of legal and
financial complications are eliminated. Several organizations and people are brought together by
the organizing committee to help facilitate and realize this event.
Recommendations Committee
To bring the second World University Championship Speed Skating to Groningen, there are many
prominent names from the world of sports, politics, and the corporate world who support our initiative.
We brought them together in the Recommendations Committee.
Pieter van Vollenhoven
Jildau Gemser
Paulien van Deutekom
Elmer Sterken
Henk Pijlman
Frank de Vries
Doekle Terpstra
Peter Rehwinkel
Max van den Berg
Member of the Dutch Royal House.
Member of the Speed Skating Technical Committee ISU
Former World Champion Allround Speed Skating
Rector Magnificus at University of Groningen
Chairman of the board of directors Hanze university
Alderman of sports in Groningen
President of the Royal Dutch Skating Union, KNSB
Mayor of the city of Groningen
Queen's Commissioner (Head of the province of Groningen)
Advisory Committee
Experts in all kind of areas are brought together in the Advisory Board, they have an active role
in the support of this initiative.
Hans van Rooijen
Gerro Dijksma
Klaas Gansevoort
Wopke de Vegt
Grietje Pasma
Nienke Vos
Jeanette Steen
Frank Smit
Huub Snoep
Board advisor for the Dutch Students Sports Association
Director Groningen University Sports Centre
Head Sport Groningen University Sports Centre
Team manager national Speed Skating longtrack
Director Topsport North Netherlands
Vice-president WUC cycling 2008 Nijmegen
Event Coördinator at Sportcentrum Kardinge
Chairman Lustrum committee RUG
Media partner schaatsen.nl
Organization Committee
For the second World University Championship the Organizing Committee will consist of a board of
six people and seven supporting committees. The board will consist of a president, vice-president,
secretary, treasurer, PR member, and a Sports member.
The seven committees will have the following tasks: Fund raising, Race, Accomodation, Transfer,
Cultural and Catering, Volunteers, and Opening and Closing.
Organizational structure
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Interviews
Renz Rotteveel
Rhian Ket
Interviews with former Dutch participants of the Winter Universiade.
What are your best results at the Winter Universiade?
Paulien van Deutekom: Gold medal winner 1500m and silver medal winner 1000m–Innsbruck 2005
Rhian Ket: Silver medal winner 1500m – Innsbruck 2005
Sanne van der Star: Silver medal winner 500m – Innsbruck 2005
Mark Ooijevaar: Gold medal winner 5000m en 10000m – Torino 2007
Renz Rotteveel: Silver medal winner 5000m and bronze medal winner 10000m – Harbin 2009
What are you studying?
Paulien van Deutekom: At the moment, I study psychology at the Open University. Here I can study
at my own pace.
Rhian Ket: I’ve done several courses. In September I will start a new course, sports marketing
at a Danish University. This course is specially developed for athletes and consists of a full online
programme.
Sanne van der Star: I study Health Sciences at the Free University of Amsterdam.
Mark Ooijevaar: During the Winter Univerisade, I studied Forest and Nature in Wageningen.
Renz Rotteveel: I study commercial sport economics at the Johan Cruyff University in Amsterdam.
At which level are you skating at this moment?
Paulien van Deutekom: I train with the team of coach Jac Orie. During the next year, my focus will
be on the 1500m and 3000m. My goal is to compete with other skaters during the World
Championships.
Rhian Ket: I’m part of the Dutch top and train with the commercial speed skating team Hofmeier.
Mark
Ooijevaar:
At
this
moment
I
train
with
the
team
Gewest
Friesland.
Renz Rotteveel: I skate on an international level with the commercial speed skating team, team
Hofmeier.
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Mark Ooijevaar
Interviews
What does it mean to you when the WUC speed skating in 2014 will be organized in Groningen?
Paulien van Deutekom
Paulien van Deutekom: It would be very nice if the
WUC speed skating would be organized in Groningen.
At first, Groningen is an excellent student city. This in
combination with a good indoor ice rink makes Groningen
a good place to organize the WUC. A WUC can also be a
good incentive for the skating students and for student
sports in general. It is a good chance for working together
and make different contacts in Groningen on an
international level. I would say, let's sharpen the blades
and go for the WUC in Groningen in 2014!
Rhian Ket: I think it would be really nice if the WUC speed skating would be held in Groningen.
I am proponent of that. It would be nice for Dutch and international students. Besides that it is
a good event to bring speed skating to the people's attention.
Mark Ooijevaar: Personally, it doesn’t mean very much. This is because I am finished with my
studies and therefore can’t participate at the WUC in 2014. But, I think it would be very nice if
this event will be in Groningen in 2014.
Renz Rotteveel: If the WUC speed skating will be in Groningen in 2014, it would motivate me
to continue to combine my studies with skating on a high level. During the WUC speed skating,
you can get a lot of experience and meet other studying speed skaters. Groningen is a good
place for this event, because the sport facilities are good and it is a city with many different
studies.
Sanne van der Star: It should be really nice when there
is a replacement event for the Winter Universiade.
In my time, some speed skaters started with their studies
in the year of the Winter Universiade. Everybody sees
this race as something special. It’s a pity that speed
skating is not fixed in the Winter Universiade, but
the WUC speed skating in 2014 in Groningen would
be a very good replacement.
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Sanne van der Star
Closing statements
For the organization there is a close partnership with Student Sport Netherlands (SSN) and
the Royal Dutch Skating Union (KNSB). The Dutch student sports on national and international
level are represented by SSN. The SSN is therefore an important knowledge center for organised
student sports. The student speed skating in the Netherlands is brought together by the Dutch
Student Skating Union (NSSU). With over 1800 members there is a lot of potential for this World
University Championship.
Hopefully this bidbook has made clear why Groningen is ready to host the second World
University Championship Speed Skating in 2014.
The biggest advantages of hosting the event in Groningen are:
- Good facilities at Kardinge, for the participants, officials, and press
- 400 year lustrum celebration for the University of Groningen
- Connections between sports and science
- An organization committee with many excellent connections
Because of all the experience from partners and the knowledge in the Netherlands to organize
speed skating events, we are convinced that the second World University Championship in
Groningen will be a huge success.
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Acknowledgements
Coordination and Concept
Jan-Jouke Mulder, Carolien ter Pelkwijk,
Marieke Dekker, Ynse Segaar, Janique Tijmes,
Femke Feenstra, Lavinda Kok, Tom Terpstra,
Sybren van der Zee
Editor
Sybren van der Zee
Partners
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Visuals
Ernst Jan van Dam, Meijco,
Derk Wikkerink, Arno Schuerink
Special thanks to :
Recommendations Committee
Advisory Committee